


brotherhood.

by im_gera_okay



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Asexual Character, Confessions, Fluff, Multi, Secret Marriage, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:47:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27388201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_gera_okay/pseuds/im_gera_okay
Summary: The one where Percy Weasley is vindicated.
Relationships: Fleur Delacour/Bill Weasley, Harry Potter/George Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley, Percy Weasley/Oliver Wood
Comments: 33
Kudos: 469





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this started out as angst and then got really fluffy.

It has been eight years since Percy Weasley graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

It has been four years since the end of Second War, and three years since he’s married Oliver Wood.

It’s been seven years since Percy Weasley has told his family anything about his life.

He doesn’t talk to them much at all, really: he shows up from Sunday dinner, like he always does, and he sits and listens to his family talk around him. No one asks him about his work, and so he doesn’t say anything about it. No one speculates on whether he has a girlfriend, so he doesn’t bother to correct their assumptions.

His listening and looking means he hears things that most people don’t, however. When his mother asks Ginny eagerly whether she’s patched things up with Harry, his sister shifts nervously and deflects her eyes.

Percy knows that this means no, and it means that she’s involved with someone else. Harry, in addition to looking awkward, has also started averting his gaze as of two months ago, and Percy takes this to mean that the raven-haired boy has now also found someone new.

He knows before the others when Ron and Hermione are engaged, because he sees the way his younger brother is clutching Hermione’s fist and sees the knowing glint in Harry’s eyes. 

He knows Fleur is pregnant before the rest because of the careful way that she avoids alcohol for those first five weeks of secrecy. She and Bill are subtle, but not quite enough: she gets a glass of wine like everyone else, but it’s Bill who drains her glass by the end of the night. 

Percy Weasley finally learns who Ginny’s new significant other is when she arrives late one Sunday, humming dazedly. He sees the necklace clenched in her fist before she stuffs it into her satchel, and it’s strung with Butterbeer corks. He’s seen that necklace before, and he knows it– Penny had introduced him to a tiny Luna Lovegood in their sixth year. The blonde girl had been his sister’s age.

So observing has become a habit for him, because he can’t very well talk about himself, and it rather blindsides him one day when George shows up for Sunday dinner acting more antsy than he’s been in years.

His mother shoos them all to the table, and they sit. His dad immediately engages Charlie and Ron and Ginny in a discussion about the Falmouth Falcons’ latest match, and Hermione begins to coo over baby Victoire. Bill is drawn into conversation with Harry, and Fleur begins to talk to George, who is _still_ acting off–

And then Molly’s interrogations begin. They circle around the table as she stares down Bill, Ron, and Charlie. Finally, her attention is on George, and Percy feels a heavy weight in his stomach.

It starts out well enough. She asks him about the shop, and about how Verity and Lee are doing, and whether they’ve had any new product lines. But then she starts asking about his dating life, and George tenses. Percy suddenly knows what’s about to happen.

He catches the tense line of Harry’s shoulders immediately. The Boy-Who-Conquered is sitting next to George, and he realizes that they’re involved. George is about to come out, and Percy knows that his mother will not take it well.

Shit. 

“Are you seeing any special girl?” Molly asks, and huffs in disappointment when George shakes his head. “No? No lovely lady’s caught your eye? What about Verity, she’s a sweet one!”

“No,” George mutters. “Not Verity.”

“Well, you’ve got to start looking around, young man! There are plenty of beautiful women out there for you if you’d just try–”

“Mum,” George says firmly, meeting her eyes. “I’m gay. I’m dating a guy, and we’re very happy together.”

There is absolute silence.

Hermione’s eyes are darting frantically between Molly and George, Ron is leaning into Harry's side, Harry looks very pale and is biting his lip– yes, it’s definitely Harry that George is seeing. Bill’s eyebrows are drawn together as he stares at Molly, and Charlie is looking down at his plate. Ginny is narrowing her eyes at her mother. Fleur is holding baby Victoire, seemingly categorizing everyone’s reactions. Arthur is watching his wife.

Percy needs to say something, or this is going to get very out of hand.

Percy Weasley doesn’t talk about himself, he just doesn’t, and he and George are just this side of estranged, but the reason there’s silence in the kitchen right now is because Fred isn’t there to fill it. So Percy Weasley straightens his back.

“Mum,” he says, and everyone’s eyes dart to him immediately. “Did I tell you where Oliver took me for our anniversary last week? It was very romantic. He got an international Portkey to Belgium, and we renewed our vows in this quaint little seaside town.”

The silence is somehow even heavier. Molly’s face is quickly reddening. George’s eyes are wide and he quite frankly looks stupefied.

Percy flicks his wand to dispel the glamours around his hand, and shows off the slightly-worn ring on his left ring finger. “He was telling me the story about how he bought my engagement ring, apparently he found it in this out-of-the-way jewelry store in Scotland, but he went back to buy it and it had been sold. So he followed it around the Isles, eventually caught up to the guy that bought it and purchased off of him for nearly four-thousand Galleons. I almost upended my wine in his face when I heard the cost.”

Harry is looking at him like he’s never truly seen him before, and George’s eyes are watering, and Ron looks flabbergasted. Charlie is smiling knowingly– dammit, _how did he know–_ and Bill is smirking into his glass of wine. Ginny is gaping, but her eyes are glinting, and the corners of her mouth are curling up. 

His mother opens her mouth. “You– Percy– you’re also a homosexual?”

Percy looks at her. “Well, yes. I’ve also been married to Oliver Wood for three years. We dated back in Hogwarts, but we fell apart during the war. We were quite distressed about it, but I insisted that I couldn’t have connections while within the bowels of the Ministry. We all made sacrifices for the war effort, I reminded him. We fell back together almost immediately after the final battle.”

“You– what?” Ron interrupts, looking completely thrown. “Sacrifices? Why couldn’t you have connections?”

Now Percy is the one who’s confused. “Well… I was undercover. It would have been dangerous to be visibly aligned with the resistance.”

“You were undercover?” Harry asks, aghast, and George and Bill are wide-eyed.

Percy frowns. “Dad and I argued about it before I left that summer. I avoided you all for three years. Yes, I was undercover.”

“Perce… we were told that you argued about whether Fudge was trying to use you to spy on the family.” Charlie says, biting his lip worriedly as he speaks. 

Now he is especially confused. “Well… of course he was. It wasn’t very realistic for me to go directly from assistant for the dead Department Head to assistant for the Minister. They were really quite transparent. But I don’t remember arguing about that. Dad spent all summer telling me that the job was too dangerous, and I was insisting that it was a necessary evil.”

Percy looks around at the dumbfounded faces. “Are you– did you really not know? Did you think I avoided you for three years because I _wanted_ to?” He whirls to face his parents. “Did you not tell them the truth?” Arthur looks absolutely miserable, and Percy is immediately enraged. “Why would you not tell them!”

His father sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. “We thought it would be easier to keep up the charade and keep you safe if as few as possible knew.” 

Percy gapes. “But… okay, ignoring that, why would you not tell them once the war was over?”

“We thought you had,” Arthur says, and Molly is still red-faced and quiet. “We were… dealing with Fred’s death.”

“Dealing with– so was I! For three goddamn _years_ I avoided my family, finally returning only to watch my brother die in front of me! And you– they– they all were mourning Fred’s death and you let them think I had betrayed them? Why would I have corrected them? I never knew they were left in the dark to begin with! For four years I’ve been given the cold shoulder by this family, I hid my goddamn husband from you, I hid my company and my life! I thought I’d done something wrong, I thought I was unwanted– now you come out with this shite and say they thought I was a traitor!”

Percy is standing and shouting now, his vision blurred with rage, his voice ragged. His brothers are all watching him with slack faces and wide eyes. Harry’s brows are furrowed with anger. Hermione may be crying, and Fleur is soothing a sobbing Victoire.

“Right,” he says, when nothing else is said. “Right.” He whirls to face his mother. “If you feel like being a bigot, please take it out on me, who has been comfortably out for three years, and not on your other son who has lost a twin and found some semblance of happiness that you were about to destroy. If you feel like explaining why you allowed me to become alienated by my family for the last half-decade, I will be at home with my husband or at work at my company. Because no one ever asks about my work, that is the Ignatius Wood Foundation, dedicated to helping non-humans find work or start businesses. You are not to harass my husband, my clients, or my employees.”

He stalks towards the door. “Congratulations, George, Harry.” He nods sharply. “Oliver and I might send you two tickets to Majorca the next time we go on a double date vacation with Audrey and Penny.”

Percy slams the door behind him as he goes.

***

The Burrow is absolutely silent for a moment, and then a red faced Charlie turns towards his parents. “He was bloody _undercover?_ ” He spits, enraged. “I thought I had lost two brothers when the war ended, and now we find that he was really fighting the hardest fight of all?”

Arthur looks pale and shame-faced, and Molly’s cheeks are still ruddy as her jaw works.

Ginny’s eyes are fire, and she leans over the table. “Something to say, Mum?”

Molly spits: “Did anyone else hear him say that he’s been married to a man for three years? Did anyone else catch onto the fact that he never told any of us?”

Bill stands abruptly and thunderously. “Well, no bloody wonder! If this is how you react to his sexual orientation– and beyond that, why would he tell us anything! He’s been thinking that we hated him for a reason he didn’t know!”

George’s face is like stone as he slumps back in his seat. “He was undercover,” he mumbles. “And he’s married to Ollie Wood.”

Harry leans over and presses their shoulders together in silent comfort.

Ron’s face is furious, his grip on Harry’s other arm bruising. “Did anyone know he wasn’t working at the Ministry anymore? Does anyone know anything about this company of his?”

Hermione places her trembling hands flat on the table. “I do,” she says quietly. “It’s an anonymous organization, there’s no public face. But people have been hailing it as the one of the largest private benefactors in the last three hundred years. It’s established a system of education and employment for nearly two thousand non-human clients.”

“I also know of zis company,” Fleur declares viciously. “It ‘elped me to transfer my credentials to zee British Ministry, and to bypass several bigoted regulations.”

“Yeah,” Bill says quietly. “There’s a support group for Greyback’s victims. There’s a girl who comes in that’s Ron’s age– Lavender Brown.”

Ron curses. “She was in Gryffindor with us. Fuck.” 

Ginny’s eyes are still aflame. “Yeah, and she’s our _friend_. And Percy is our brother.”

Arthur scrubs a hand over his face. “I know this is– nothing I can say will make this right. This is something that shouldn’t have happened. Molly and I should have exercised better judgement, and failing that, we should have rectified the situation. I know it’s far too late for empty words. Percy is the one who needs to hear this, and he will, but I’m truly sorry for my role in this. I made an oversight regarding my children, and that is unforgivable. It will not happen again.”

He stands, the tired lines in his face thrown into sharp relief. “George, I’m very proud of you for being brave enough to tell us about your boyfriend. I’ll always love you and support you. I’d love to meet your boyfriend one day, if both of you would be amenable. I’m– I’m going to chase after Percy.”

He Disapparates with a sharp crack, and Molly stands abruptly, pushing back her chair. She storms away into her bedroom, and there’s the sharp click of a lock being turned.

George heaves a large sigh. “I can’t believe Percy tried to defend me from Mum’s wrath by giving away his secret marriage.”

The weight of these words weighs heavy for a moment, and then Harry begins to chuckle at George’s shoulder. He catches Hermione’s eye, and she too begins to giggle, and soon enough the whole table is roaring in laughter.

“Percy!” Bill says, throwing his hands in the air. “A secret marriage! Double date vacations! A hot Quidditch player beefcake of a husband!”

“I can’t believe he was a spy!” Ron cries. “I can’t– it’s Percy!”

Charlie chokes on his laughter. “I had my suspicions about a relationship, but the undercover bit threw me!”

Even George is smiling by this point, and slowly they all stop laughing to gasp for air. 

“Did anyone else hear Percy offer zis vacation to George _and_ ‘Arry?” Fleur asks, leaning forward with a smirk.

Harry flushes bright red and George grins leerily. “Jealous?”

Ron groans. “Don’t be gross.”

“I wonder how he knew,” Hermione says thoughtfully.

“It’s always the quiet ones,” Ginny smirks. Charlie guffaws. 

Bill shakes his head. “This is such a mess. How do we fix this?”

“I want to know what his last name is,” Ron declares, and Hermione stands suddenly.

“I can figure that out,” she says. “Give me a day, and I’ll have the full legal names of whoever owns the Ignatius Wood Foundation. If it’s not Percy, then I might have to resort to illegal methods.”

“When have the laws ever stopped you?” Harry asks, and she throws him a severe glance.

“You and I, Harry James Potter, are going to have a discussion about communication when this is over.”

Harry sinks in his seat and Bill snickers.

“Well,” George says, pulling Harry back to his side. “What say us kids have brunch with Percy sometime this week?”

Bill nods. “We’ll invite you all to Shell Cottage. Mum and Dad aren’t allowed.”

Ginny suddenly groans. 

“What is it?” Asks Ron.

“It’s just– I thought he saw– but it was _Percy,_ so there was no way he knew– but he was smirking, and I was so confused–”

“Gin!” Ron interrupts. “What in the bloody hell are you talking about?”

Ginny is red faced. “I think Percy knows who my girlfriend is.”

There is silence, and then George grins. “Dear Merlin– Mum has three gay kids, however will she cope?”

Charlie laughs. “As long as we’re doing confessions– I don’t do romance. Or sex.”

“Well, you’ve already got the dragons,” Bill says.

“Little tykes,” Charlie agrees fondly, and Ron shudders.

“So, wait–” It’s Harry who says this, and he’s leaning forward with a smirk. “Who _is_ your girlfriend, Gin? And how does Percy know?”

She groans. “Well, I had something of hers that was rather recognizable, and Percy saw me with it. I figured that even if he knew who it belonged to, there was no way he’d figure we were dating. I mean, we were friends first, and I didn’t really even think he understood romance, much less gay romance.”

“But he smirked,” Georges leers.

“He smirked,” she sighed. “And he had this knowing glance. I was so jumpy that day.”

“So who is it?” Charlie asks. “And why haven’t you brought her to Sunday dinner yet?”

“It’s Luna,” she mumbles, and Harry throws his hands in the air.

“I knew it! I knew it, Dean owes me ten Galleons!”

Ginny gapes. “My exes put _ten Galleons_ on my love life?”

Harry scoffs. “And how much did you put on my love life? With– probably also Dean, now that I’m thinking.”

“Got you there,” Bill grins, and Ginny glares at him from across the table.

Ron suddenly jumps up and steps away from her, and she takes her spoonful of Shepherd’s pie and flicks it at him. It hits Bill’s blinking face dead on.

Fleur stands, pushing Victoire into her father’s arms. “Ginevra,” she declares, flipping her silvery hair over her shoulder, “you ‘ave started a war.” She flicks her wand, and a pan full of bread pudding tips itself onto Ginny’s head.

Bill sighs, laying his head on Charlie’s shoulder. “Godric, I’m in love.”

He’s unceremoniously shoved away. “Don’t make me a target,” Charlie hisses, and the Weasley-family food fight begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please imagine Percy Apparating back and completely demolishing the competition in the Weasley-family food fight.


	2. Chapter 2

When Percy Weasley goes home at the end of the day, he is usually greeted with the warm and smiling face of Oliver Wood. Some days are exceptions, however. 

This evening is one such day. When Percy goes to unlock his door, his bicep is caught by a hand. He immediately turns, and finds that the end of his wand is pointed at the face of his father.

Percy flinches. He lowers his wand to his side, but his knuckles are white as he grips it.

“Why did you follow me home?”

Arthur Weasley raises his hands in surrender. “I wanted to say that I’m sorry.”

“What– for isolating me from my entire family for seven years?”

“Yes!”

That gives Percy pause. He grips his wand even tighter.

“...Okay. Give your apology.”

His dad takes in a deep breath. “We were given counsel,” he says. “Dumbledore, as the head of the Order, advised us to keep your true loyalties as secret as possible. We wanted to tell your siblings, but it was considered a tactical risk.”

Percy doesn’t react, and Arthur hastens to answer the unspoken question.

“After the war– well, we thought if it got out that you were a spy, then you would become a target for Death Eater sympathizers or diehards. It still– it still felt like a risk. And on top of that– the family was very volatile. Fred… had died. And we didn’t want to rub salt in a wound by letting your siblings know that… you’d been separated from them for tactical reasons. We didn’t want them to spite you for being able to leave and come back, when Fred was still gone, and we didn’t want them to be upset that you’d been taken from them to begin with.”

Percy opens his mouth, but Arthur raises a hand. “And I know that was wrong. I know. I know that we condemned you to hard years, and you are my son, and we should never have done that. I know that it’s been four years since the war ended, and we never did what was right. It was cowardly, and it was neglectful, and I’m sorry.”

Percy doesn’t move.

“And I love you. I’d love to meet your husband, too. I’d love to hear about your life. I want to know you. I want to make it right. I get that you need time, and that’s fine. I’ll let you come to me. I’ll talk to your mother, in the meantime, and… I hope you can forgive me, Percy.”

And then he steps back and Apparates away.

Percy blinks rapidly, and then turns around and kicks his front door. It shakes with the force, and he leans his forehead against the stained wood panelling.

“Fuck,” he whispers, and Merlin and Morgana, he’s crying. “ _Fuck._ Fuck them.”

It takes a long moment, but he eventually collects himself. He points his wand at his face. “ _Terego._ ”

He unlocks the door to find a seemingly empty home. So he goes up to the roof of the building, and predictably finds his husband talking about Quidditch with the Falmouth Falcons reserve Chaser Angelina Johnson. They’re standing above the newest Firebolt broom on the market– the Firebolt Prime. 

“–the Prime is top of line!” Angelina is saying. “Do you know what that means, Oliver? And the turn speed– _unmatched_!”

“Aye, in the Isles, and maybe even throughout Europe– but that company in Morocco has come out with the Thunderbolt, which is leagues better! Yeh cannae compare them!” 

Percy smiles softly, pushing thoughts of his family to the back of his mind. “Angelina!” He calls. “Stealing strategies?”

She scoffs, turning to face him. “Hardly. Puddlemere doesn’t have any strategies worth stealing.” 

Oliver looks so offended at this that he can’t help but smile. “Oi! Yeh were my subordinate for four years, Johnson! Yeh know that’s a lie!”

“Gryffindor was hardly Puddlemere United. We were way better, and we had an eleven-year-old on our team.”

Oliver looks very torn between defending the team he captained or the team he’s currently on. Percy decides to save him.

“Are you done with your dick measuring contest, Johnson?”

She grins. “Yeah. I won. And I thought you knew to call me Angelina?”

He shrugs. “What can I say. My husband is owed my loyalty.”

Angelina rolls her eyes. “You’re smitten.”

Oliver sighs heavily. “How was yer day, Perce? How was the Weasley dinner?” 

“Fine,” Percy says evasively, and Oliver immediately narrows his eyes in suspicion. His eyes rove over Percy’s face, and his expression contorts with concern.

“I think I have to go,” Angelina sighs, oblivious. She’s looking at her watch. “It’s gotten late. Katie and Alicia better not be kissing in the kitchen again.”

“Sure,” Percy agrees. “We’ll have you all around for dinner soon.”

Angelina smiles. “Sounds great. See you.” She claps him on the shoulder, and then turns on her heel and disappears with a crack of Apparition. 

Oliver is immediately in front of him. “What happened?”

He sighs, scrubbing at his hair. “Our secret marriage has been scuppered,” he mutters. Oliver grabs his biceps and pulls him into his chest, and Percy melts in his muscular arms. 

“Bad reaction?” Oliver asks his red curls. 

“My mum wasn’t pleased. Also… I’ve discovered that my siblings have had a bit of a misunderstanding about my role in the war.”

Oliver holds him out to look at him, his blue-slate eyes hard and flashing. “Tell me.”

Percy does.

***

George Weasley paces nervously across the beach in front of Shell Cottage. Fleur owled Percy and Oliver– who are _husbands_ – with an invitation, but there’s a decent chance that they won’t show. 

“It’ll be fine,” says Ron standing to the side and looking equally frazzled. “They’ll come, and we’ll apologize, and… we’ll fix this. We’ll learn who he is now.”

Hermione appears with a crack on the hillside, and runs down the hill, her brown hair waving behind her in the sea air. Harry grabs her arm to support her as she comes to a sudden stop.

“His legal name is Percival Ignatius Weasley-Wood,” she declares. “And Oliver never changed his.”

George nods. “Okay. Okay. That’s a good name, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, excellent,” Ron says. His head is in his hands.

Hermione tilts her body and puts her hands on her hips. “Don’t freak out. You’ll make it worse.”

Harry leans over to tell her: “Telling them not to freak out isn’t helpful, ‘Mione.”

“Well, they’re not being helpful, either!”

“Guys!” Yells a voice from the top of the hill, by the house. It’s Charlie. “Come up! He’ll be arriving soon!”

“Should we really be waiting for him all in the same place?” Ron asks doubtfully. “That’s kind of intimidating, isn’t it?”

“Don’t overthink it,” Harry soothes. “Just be genuine. You didn’t know.”

“But we should have,” George sighs. “He’s our brother.”

“I’m going to be sick,” declares a new voice, and they all spin to see Ginny approaching, broom slung over her shoulder. Luna is trailing behind her. "I'm actually going to throw up."

“So will your brothers!” Harry declares brightly. “So you’re all in the same boat. Let’s go inside.”

“You’re such a caring boyfriend,” George grumbles. 

Harry slings an arm around his shoulder. “Shush.”

***

When Percy opens the front door to Shell Cottage, Oliver is at his back. He steps into the house, and in front of him is a long rectangular table. All of his siblings are sitting there, including Fleur, Harry, Hermione, and even Luna Lovegood. 

He stiffens at the sight of them all, and Oliver puts a hand on his shoulder.

His husband moves in front of him, grabbing his hand. “Hello, everyone,” he says, uncharacteristically cool.

Percy takes a second to breathe, and lets Oliver sit him down at the table.

“Hey, Percy, Oliver,” says George. “It’s good to see you both.”

Percy nods once.

Bill straightens. “Percy,” he says, licks his lips, and the barrels on: “I want to apologize on behalf of all of us. We thought we knew who you were, and we were wrong.”

“I’m sorry that I never realized you were faking it,” says George. He looks tired and miserable. “I didn’t even doubt it, not once.”

Percy shrugs, his fists clenched tight in his lap. “That was the goal.”

“We’re your siblings!” Ron says fiercely. “We’re supposed to know you! We’re supposed to _know_ that you would never betray us! But we thought you did, and then… seven years…”

Charlie scrubs his face. “And we were so cold to you that you didn’t feel you could tell us about your marriage. That’s– a big part of your life. And we missed it, because of how we treated you. You’re Percy Weasley-Wood, and you started a philanthropic organization. We never knew _any_ of that.” 

There’s a terrible silence. The in-laws are all looking mildly uncomfortable, bar Luna. Ginny may be crying, and that more than anything breaks Percy. He could never handle seeing her cry.

He stands and circles the table to where she’s sitting, and pulls her into his arms. She starts full on sobbing, gripping his shoulders with all her might. 

“It’s okay,” he says softly. “It’s alright. It was only a small ceremony that Oliver and I had when we were wed, and we might– might renew our vows again sometime. And then you all can be there.”

“I was fourteen!” Ginny sobs. “And you were my brother– and I never noticed– and I lost you–”

Luna stands, and grabs George’s hand. She shoves him towards his sister and older brother, and when he hesitates, Percy grabs onto him and tugs George into his hold. 

They stand there for a moment, crying, and then Charlie stands to join them, Ron and Bill a breath behind.

Oliver sits back in his chair. “That’s what I was looking for,” he mutters. 

Harry leans over to him. “It’s good to see Percy happy again.”

Oliver studies him with vague surprise. “What do yeh mean by that?”

“He looks lighter with you here,” Harry shrugs. “He looks like he did back at Hogwarts, but maybe more at peace. It’s nice, and I don’t think I ever realized this version of him was gone, but– I’m glad it’s back.” 

There’s another beat of silence, and then Oliver smiles. “Yeh ever thought about playing pro, Harry? Yeh were excellent back at Hogwarts– thanks to my coaching, o’ course.”

Harry laughs.

When the Weasley siblings detach, Harry stands and walks over to Percy. “I’m sorry too,” he says. “I wish a lot of things had happened differently during the war, but this is a far bigger regret than most of the rest.”

Percy smiles, the light reflecting off his glasses. He tugs Harry into a hug, and startled, Harry acquiesces. “I was never really mad at you all,” he says, addressing his siblings over Harry’s shoulder. “Not really. Confused, hurt– but it was a misunderstanding. We all made mistakes during the war. I’m not mad at any of you. And I’m sorry, too.”

Ron shakes his head and laughs slightly hysterically. “Perce, d’you think you can help us plan a way for Ginny to come out to Mum? If we don’t have some tact, she might lose it.”

George rolls his eyes. “She can get over it.”

Percy nods. “Or she won’t ever be invited to see Ollie and I renew our vows.” 

Bill laughs. “Harsh.”

Fleur straightens, clapping her hands together. “Let’s eat. Ginevra, if you throw food again, you will regret it.”

Ginny scoffs, smiling in a watery way, leaning into Luna’s side, who stays quiet and strokes her girlfriend’s hair.

Hermione pulls Percy into a discussion about his work, and George leans over to Oliver: “You feel like helping us set up a Quidditch match later? Four on four, and you should know that Fleur is a devil on a broom.” 

Oliver sits up straighter, eyes shining. “Is she really? I’m on board.”

George grins and scuffs his shoulder. “It’s good to see you, Ollie.”

“Don’t get soppy on me, Weasley. I remember what yeh told me when we won the Quidditch Cup. ‘Dinnae get so emotional, Oliver! It’s just a game!’ And then yeh threw a party loud enough to wake McGonagall, yeh hypocrite.”

“It was a worthy endeavor,” George says, straightfaced. “The Quidditch was only an excuse–” Oliver scoffs– “to sneak in firewhiskey. I got you sloshed.”

“ _I_ got me sloshed, Weasley.”

“Sure, sure.”

Oliver rolls his eyes, and then stands, addressing the room. “If any of yeh hurt Percy again, I’ll hex yeh to Wexford. Aye?”

Percy blushes bright red, scowling, and everyone else nods hurriedly.

Oliver tilts his head. “Only, I probably couldn’t beat the Man-Who-Conquered in a duel, so I’ll make Potter run laps like he’s the only first year on the team.”

Harry raises his hands in surrender fast enough to nearly smack himself in the face, and Oliver laughs.


End file.
